Cyber bullying
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SCOTT JAGOW: It’s back to school time and I guess, school bullies do things different these days. A law enforcement group is trying to tackle the problem of cyber bullies. From the Marketplace Work and Family Desk, Hillary Wicai explains.
HILLARY WICAI: Apparently shaking kids down on the playground for their lunch money isn’t enough. Bullies have gone digital. They use e-mail, create Web sites, and send hate mail, even death threats via instant message.
The group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is releasing a poll today that shows one third of teens and one in six pre-teens have been victims of cyber bullying. That’s about 13 million kids.
David Kass is with Fight Crime.
DAVID KASS: “The thing that’s so harmful about cyber bullying is that it’s 24/7. You can’t get away from it. With cyber bullying you’re never safe.”
The group wants every school district in the country to put a bullying prevention program into place.
They say that shouldn’t stress even budget conscious schools. A proven training program would cost about $4,000 per district.
In Washington, I’m Hillary Wicai for Marketplace.
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